The End of the Summer
by cj13
Summary: This is a continuation of the book The Truth About Forever. With school arriving, Macy is forced back into work, but with all her time focused on school will Wes wander off to another girl, or will she go against her mother and keep her summer habits?
1. Chapter 1

"The Truth about Forever"

I was heading towards the kitchen, around the back of the house, when I saw it. A few days at my dad's old summerhouse, which was newly refurnished, I was getting used to the old signs of my dad, like his old coat and photo of him and mom. But I hadn't thought about this. It was the same shed I had walked by a few times today. Old boars and rusty nails made it a classic little addition, and my dad used to keep his old fishing gear stuffed inside; my sister hadn't even considered tearing it down. It must have been the sun, or the windows on the side of the house, that made something sparkle and gleam for that second I walked by; and now I was standing eye to eye with a nail.

I don't remember the exact day, or the weekend we were up here, but I do remember my mother telling the story to me. "_You were so exited,"_ she used to say with a twinkle in her eye. "_And your dad, too. You were about four or five then, with hair cut as short as your ears, and you had gone out fishing with him. And when I was sitting reading a book on the front poor, out of nowhere you ran up to me with the widest grin on your face and began shouting 'I caught one! I caught one!'"_

And I remember her telling the neighbors, too, about how when dad came back with me after catching my first fish, he pulled me up and gave me a kiss. "Only one thing we can do," he said with a chuckle. And then he slammed it up against the wall and took his hammer. I screamed as he nailed the fish right to the wall of the shack. I looked up at my dad, a terrified expression on my face. And then he pulled me up and whispered in my ear something, and a grin spread across my face. _"Now the fish can stay here, look out at the sea. Just like you and me, right? We're just gonna keep on staying her, watching the sea."_

And there the nail was, old and crooked to the left, but still just as it was. Some things, like memories, always stay the same.

I thought I had accepted my dad's death, gotten over the grief; and maybe I have, with my new job, and Wes, and this vacation and my mom finally accepting it all. So I decided to tell Wes.

It was after dinner, and the sun had just gone down, so fast we almost missed the sunset, and we were taking a walk. I felt the cold sand, smooth and slippery like water itself, between my toes, and I turned my face away from him.

"Did I ever tell you the story," I began, "of when I caught my first fish?"

He looked over at me with a wide smile, and nudged my bare shoulder. "Like you ever tell me anything?" he said, with laughter in his voice. I smiled, too, and I told him about me and my dad catching that fish, and when I was finished, he laughed. "Wow, your dad was something."

"Yah, he really was. Have I told you the story, about my seventh birthday party?"

I didn't even let him answer. I talked, just waking next to him, about all these memories that were popping up in my head. And he started, too. He told funny stories of his mom, and his brother, and we just talked- not like the 'truth game', but more like we were looking through a photo album, and finally remembering. And it was the first time I remembered all these stories since my dad's death.

When we were walking back, and it was getting later, he stopped and flopped to the ground, bringing me down with him. "I have a surprise for you," he said suddenly, his eyes gleaming. "You going to guess what it is?"

"Of course I know what it is already. You're becoming the president!" He laughed. "Or…," I said, not caring, "You are moving to Japan!"

"Better."

"Better than sushi and rice all day? Don't think that's possible."

"I'm switching schools. I'm going to start attending where you're going."

"We're going to go to school together?" I said sadly.

"Yes," he said, his excitement dwindling.

I leaned over and kissed him hard on the lips, brushing his hair to the side. "Then I guess it's going to be a _much_ better year than I thought it would be!"

"Sorry, but no. Tomorrow's a school day. _The first day_ of school."

"So?" came Kristy's voice, ringing cheerfully through the phone. "It's going to be one of the best parties of the summer!"

"You mean fall?"

"God, just cus you're going to school doesn't mean summer's ended. You and Wes and that _fancy_ school of yours."

I laughed. "Let me guess, Wes won't go out tonight either?"

"And I even picked out a wardrobe for tonight!" Kristy was a fashion expert.

"You can still go, you know."

"Well _of course_ I'm going. It just wont be as fun with out you guys."

"Oh, how sweet."

"I try."

"But tomorrow night?" I paused for a second.

"Either way I'm _dragging_ you out from under your books. I'll let you go have fun playing jeopardy or whatever you boring people do at this time of night."

"Ever heard of the SAT's?"

"Oh. My. God. If you're not going out, at least sleep."

"I'll consider it," I said with a laugh. "Talk to you tomorrow."

"Yah, bye."

To tell you the truth, I was a little nervous about the first day of school tomorrow. Or a little more nervous for Wes. I shifted through the books for this year. The chemistry book weighted a ton. Shoes tapped politely in front of my door.

"Yeah, come in. Just packing my books for tomorrow." My mom walked in wearing a dark navy blue dress and black shoes. "Oh, you have school tomorrow, that's right. So you're staying home tonight, then?"

"Yep."

"Well that'll be a first," my mom said sarcastically as she smiled in my direction. "I'm going to some half dinner half meeting type of thing," she said, holding up a little clutch to somehow prove the fact she was leaving. "So don't stay up to late or anything."

"Sure. But do you no where that green shirt is," I paused, thinking, "with the stripes of gray?" My mom had started doing the laundry, and I would never get used to that.

"Yah, it's in the dryer," she said as she walked out the door.

"Have fun."

"Thanks. Lock up after me," she screamed up the stairs as she walked down towards the front door.

After I had finished packing, and picked out what I was going to wear tomorrow (it was some sort of tradition I did before the first day of school) I searched through my jewelry box until I found a necklace. Walking to the mirror, I tied the coarse string behind my neck and let the small nail rest on my collarbone. I looked up and saw myself in the mirror, smiling, my dad's old nail dangling from my neck. Everything was going to be all right after all.


	2. Chapter 2

I leaned down to my locker, bending my knees so I could stack some books into the narrow space. Unluckily, I had a bottom locker this year – which meant along with the glory of getting trampled in the hallway and ruining my pants with dirt marks when I sat down, I had to bend down every time I wanted to reach my books. Fun. Someone pulled on my hair, which I had been wearing in a high ponytail with a few colorful clips to hold up my bangs, and I looked up at Wes standing over me.

"Good day?" I asked as he plopped down next to me, spreading his legs out as he leaned against the locker.

"Well enough. But I'm starving. You want to go get something to eat?" The bell rang then for the end of school and a few people began walking into the hall, casually talking.

"Yeah, I'm hungry too. Where should we…" My phone rang, and I glanced at the caller id. "It's Kristy."

Wes grabbed the phone and flipped it open.

"Hey, its Wes. We were wondering if u wanted to go eat somewhere? I'm starving."

I pushed in my last textbook and glanced at them – each binder and book had a clear label across the top of the binding, marking my name and the class. They were lined up perfectly, and each label had the same neat print. I had done that the first week of the summer, already preparing for school - I could hardly remember it, though. I sighed and slammed the door shut.

Wes was still on the phone. "Sounds good. By now, ill eat _anything." _ He looked at me and rolled his eyes – Wes never had patience for long conversations on the phone about nothing.

"Ok, so ill see you there in five minutes. Bye."

I snatched my phone back from him, throwing it in my backpack. "So, where are we going?" I said as we walked to the parking lot, leaving the flood of people behind until it was just us, side by side.

"Some new place Kristy's friend knows. She and her friend are coming from somewhere downtown so it wont take them long."

"She's already replaced us, I guess."

"I know. Harsh."

When we arrived to the tall skinny building with red bricks and ivy growing up the wall Wes looked over at me. "Well, I guess it's somewhere _different._" I laughed as we got out of the car. "Well I'd never think that _you_ would ever put foot into somewhere like this."

"Yep, I'd have to say that Kristy's friend is definitely different then us. I wonder how much the food costs. I only have a few dam bucks. A 20 at most."

We walked into the building, and air conditioning hit us like a wave. Inside, the room was just as frilly and European; the tables were set with neat white tablecloths and the waitress's outfits were black and neat compared to the colorful ugly ones we were used to seeing at the Pancake House. We spotted Kristy at a booth with her friend.

"Hey! Macy!" she said a bit loudly, waving her hands over. I saw a waiter look over with a scowl. "Had fun at school?" she said when I finally reached their booth in the back.

"It was _amazing._ Best day of my life," I said sarcastically, sliding in across from her with Wes by my side.

"Guys, this is Bethanie. Bethanie, my friends Wes and Macy."

"Hey," I said, as Wes gave a cool nod. She was wearing a turquoise tube top with a silver pendant hanging from her neck. And I saw why she and Kristy were friends – they both stood out like models. Bethanie's hair was blond waves that hung angelically to her elbows, and her eyes sprung out like cats' – they were large and sea blue, erupting on her face. She reminded me of a sea nymph, a gorgeous perfection.

"So isn't this place cool?" she said, lifting up her hand to take a menu from a waiter with a groomed moustache. She was wearing a few silver bracelets on her wrist, pieces that looked expensive and antique. What was I doing with this girl? I looked over at Kristy but she looked happy, unaware at how clashingly different we all were.

I sat back in my booth, remembering this would only be one day. I picked up a French fry and popped the first one in my mouth. At least the food was good. And even better, she wasn't eying Wes throughout the meal – no awkwardness. My phone rang.

"One sec," I said, sliding out of my seat and pacing halfway across the room. The whole restaurant was empty now, an elderly women I had seen before gone.

"Hey?"

"Macy? It's mom. I was just wondering where you were – it's a Monday night, remember? It's almost five thirty by now."

"Just having lunch – to celebrate the end of the first day and all. But I probably should go – the food just arrived."

"Don't you have homework? I like you having friends, but I don't want you slacking at all this year."

"Not today. Don't worry – this won't become a habit. Ok? I'll see you in an hour."

"Fine, but only today. Bye."

"Bye."

I walked back to the table, glad I wasn't stuck at home wasting my time. It felt funny that Bethanie was the type of girl I used to be friends with. And I really don't try to classify, but she was exactly like the group I had to drop to be friends with Wes and Kristy – perfect hair and immaculate grades. But after a few minutes, I forgot about all that and started to have fun. Why was I making such a big deal about this anyways?

An hour and a half later I looked down at my watch.

"Shit! It's already seven."

"Got somewhere so important to be?" Bethanie chimed sarcastically.

"She wishes," Kristy said, already waving over the waiter to ask for the bill. "Her mom is a crazy work-aholic who needs little miss Marcy home every day before the sun goes down."

"My mum is like that too! Except, of course, she never knows anymore if I stay out. She happens to be in Paris with some boyfriend of hers for the summer _and _fall. So I'm free!" chirped Bethanie.

"Lucky. I'm dead meat." I said. Maybe my mom decided to go out to dinner and wasn't home. I hoped.

"Well I'll handle the bill, at least, since I kept you out so drastically late. Imagine! It's already seven you should be in bed."

"Oh, shut up." I said nicely, grabbing my coat. It was nice to already be able to tease a friend I only had met that day. And I had completely made a fool out of myself for thinking that we could never get along. No wonder she and Kristy were good friends already. "Oh, and thanks for the food!" I shouted as I left the building quickly, Wes almost running to catch up with me.

Pulling in front of my house, I kissed Wes and sadly said goodbye. "I really wish we could spend, you know, so more time, since I hardly got to see you alone today, but if I don't go in now I might be grounded for life.

"Will you talk to me tomorrow?"

"Of course. We can go out somewhere nice, just us two."

"Sounds good. Good luck with your mom!"

The door was unlocked and my mom was standing in the kitchen.

"What the hell were you thinking? First of all, you don't tell me you will be hanging out with your friends on a school day, and when I call, you say you will meet me in an hour and practically hang up on me. And here you are, an hour late – not even calling to tell me that. You promised me this would be the year. That it would be straight A's and an after school job or a team to show the colleges how dedicated you are."

"I really didn't mean too… I lost track of time." I said, glancing down at a stack of mail on the table. I noticed my mom had taken all the college pamphlets and put them to a side, in a neat stack.

"I just really don't think that you are dedicated enough. School should be your priority!"

"It is, it really is, but today there is no homework."

"I want you volunteering to tutor for these children at the elementary school a few blocks away. And this isn't optional. I let it pass that you quit your summer job. But now you need to get serious." She pushed a phone number towards me. "It's from three to five. This is the teacher's number."

"But…"

"Now go call her. I have work to do, and so do you." I watched my mom leave the kitchen and head to the office in the back. I felt bad for causing her more stress than she needed, so I pushed the cold buttons on the phone and just did as she said. After I called Kristy and told her the bad news.

"I can hardly dare telling Wes! All of my Sundays and weekdays are going to be eaten up, and I will most likely only get to see him on Saturdays."

"He is going to be devastated. And I will be, too. Are you sure that you have to do so many hours?"

"It's the only way not to get completely grounded. I know this shouldn't be such a big deal, but I hardly get to see him during the school day… and I'm used to seeing him every day, all day."

"That is tough. But you guys will get through it. You know he is completely in love with you, and you with him. Just be glad you have him."

I laughed. "This sounds like a cheesy romance novel. Just imagine the back page description: 'They are driven apart by the strictness of her parents, but are deeply in love… How can they keep their lives and stay together?'"

We talked for a while, and I called Wes too. I had to hide in my closet with the door closed so my mom didn't know I was talking on the phone. He sounded bummed. "I'm going to miss going places with you after school. I'll have to be dragged around by Kristy." I had to interrupt him. "I got to go. My mom just walked in and I can't be talking to you. I… I'll see you tomorrow," I whispered, and hung up the phone.


End file.
